Interrail Norden

Interrail Scandinavia

Commissioned by DSB.dk

One of those things I’ve always wanted to do was travel around Scandinavia by train. Well, anywhere really. I’m fascinated by this idea of ‘slow travelling’ and witnessing all the beautiful landscapes one passes by on the journey from A to B. Collaborating with DSB on an interrail made it all go from abstract idea to really concrete action. Together with Astrid, I travelled around Norway, Finland and Sweden for a total of 16 days.

Day 1 Copenhagen -> Oslo -> Stavanger (night train)

We set off at 8.30 in the morning from Copenhagen Central Station. Changed trains in Göteborg and then towards Oslo. In Oslo we had a few hours before boarding the night train to Stavanger. This allowed time for some sightseeing in Oslo a dinner. The night train was a new experience to both Astrid and I. We were equally excited about the night train and about our little sleeping cabin and bunk beds. We were lulled to sleep and woke up to a rainy morning in Stavanger.

Day 2 Stavanger -> Tau -> Preikestolen

Day 3 Stavanger -> Bergen (bus)

We stayed the night at Preikestolen Fjellstue. A really lovely lodge with little guesthouses scattered out on a green field overlooking a large lake.We left early in the morning after having enjoyed the view from our guesthouse as much as we possibly could. Day 3 was mostly spent travelling. First bus to Tau, then the ferry back to Stavanger and from Stavanger we boarded a bus to Bergen.

Day 4 Bergen

Day 5 Bergen -> Oslo (Bergensbanen) Oslo -> Bodø (night train)

One thing we really looked forward to was taking the infamous Bergensbanen from Bergen to Oslo. We got up real early to catch the morning train and had

Day 6 Bodø -> Kabelvåg, Lofoten

Day 7 Kabelvåg, Lofoten

Hamnøy, Sakrisøy, Gimsøytraumen Bridge

Hamnøy

Sakrisøy

Day 8 Stamsund, Lofoten

Nusfjord

Day 9 Kvalvika Beach

Sadly, we hadn’t read all the blogs and the local news about Reinebringen route being closed due to renovation. So we set off, all hyped about hiking up there after having been recommended it by several people. After having parked the car and filled our water bottles, we stumbled upon a very anonymous sign on the road saying that the hike was closed. We fussed over it for a few minutes, trying to come up with alternative routes to hike, and then set off towards Kvalvika Beach where Ryten hike commenses.

Where?

One of the most frequently asked questions since having been on the interrail trip has been our itinerary. And I understand why. It seems overwhelming to have to plan, time and coordinate a trip like the one we were on.

How?

We travelled with DSB and got ourselves a Global Pass, which allows you to travel around up to 30 countries for one set price. Find out the prices here. In Sweden and Norway you have to book your ‘seats’. This is where it gets a little more complicated. No seat reservation is required in Finland however.

Duration?

We travelled 3 countries for 16 days. We advise you to add a few days to your itinerary or skip a country to leave space for ‘the unexpected’. We had to make some alterations to the last part of our trip due to a cancelled ferry from Umeå to Vaasa (the stormy weather). This meant we had to cancel one of our stays in Finland. Plan a little more loose than we did!